


Cabin Quarantine

by TheOfficialMendelWeisenbachfeld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur comes back in 2020, Arthur learns what a bagel is, Domestic fluff (except it's platonic) (for now), Isolation, M/M, Merlin cooks for Arthur, Merlin works at a bookstore, Only One Bed, Pandemic - Freeform, Quarantine, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28165011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOfficialMendelWeisenbachfeld/pseuds/TheOfficialMendelWeisenbachfeld
Summary: Arthur comes back in the middle of the pandemic, so he and Merlin have to isolate together for an indefinite amount of time. Merlin teaches him about the future, and they adapt to their new life together in Avalonia.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	1. Back from the dead

**Author's Note:**

> This is a new series I'm starting because I really love fics that take place with Arthur in the modern world. Also, I know this first chapter is a little boring, but it will get better! I'm hoping this series will be a bit longer, so I had to give a decent amount of background first. Hope you enjoy! :)

Merlin stomped his snowy boots on the welcome mat outside his cabin before stepping inside. He hung his coat in the closet by the door and walked the few steps to the kitchen to make himself a hot mug of apple cider. It had been a long winter at Lake Avalon; it was already April, but it was still snowing, like it had been since early November. The temperature hadn’t gotten above freezing for months, and Merlin was growing impatient waiting for spring.

––––

For a few days after Arthur’s death, Merlin had camped out by the lake. He knew it was a long shot, but if Arthur were to return, he wanted to be there to greet him. It seemed unlikely that he would come back so soon, but Merlin was so caught up in his own grief that he didn’t have much room in his mind for logical thinking (as per usual). This turned out not to be a sustainable practice in the long run, because Merlin was terrible at hunting and fishing, so he headed back to Camelot. There, he reunited with a now-widowed Queen Guinivere, left to rule the kingdom alone. Merlin spent many years by her side, advising her on big decisions and keeping her company. 

Not too long after the warlock’s return, Gaius passed away. Merlin mourned the loss of his mentor and father figure, but he knew it was his time. Now that Camelot was no longer at war and Merlin was safe, it seemed that Gaius was at peace. In his place, Merlin was appointed Court Physician, a job which he cherished for many years.

Since he was an immortal being, Merlin didn’t age quite like everybody else. His body wasn’t decaying in the way that normal human bodies did, so after spending more than a decade in Camelot after Arthur’s death, still looking 23 at the age of 37, he thought his appearance might start to turn heads. Of course, Gwen had legalized the practice of magic, so long as it was not used for evil, as soon as she’d learned of Merlin’s powers. She was aware of his immortality, but he figured many of the townspeople would not take kindly to knowing that their court physician was going to be 23 for the rest of eternity, or at least until Arthur returned. Merlin wasn’t incredibly clear on that bit, given Kilgharrah’s affinity for riddles.

Wanting to avoid causing trouble, Merlin left Camelot and headed back to Lake Avalon. He’d been itching to get back anyway, and as much as he loved Gwen’s company, he wanted to be with his king. This time, he packed enough food for at least a week, and he’d gotten a bit better at hunting in the years he’d been home in preparation for the day he’d be living alone on the lakeshore. Once he arrived, Merlin hiked around the lake until finding a nice patch of land in the middle of a clearing. He had a view of the lake, but he could build himself a house surrounded by trees, so hopefully nobody would bother him.

As soon as he arrived, Merlin got to work. He found some large stones in the lake with which to construct the walls. He smiled to himself, thinking how fitting it would be to live in a house built with stones from the lake of his king’s final resting place. Well, he certainly hoped it wasn’t his final resting place, because otherwise Merlin would be waiting for the rest of time.

Over the years, Merlin’s house had gotten a bit more sophisticated. He’d built his own furniture shortly after he built the house, and while it was functional, it was neither beautiful nor comfortable. Merlin discovered that he quite liked visiting markets, and he was eventually able to replace all of his poorly made furniture with beautifully made pieces from craftsmen he met at the market. When the 20th century rolled around, Merlin had been waiting 1500 years for Arthur to return. Technology had very quickly become much more advanced, and Merlin found it hard to imagine cooking his food over an electric stove instead of the fire, or turning up a thermostat instead of layering his clothing. When he finally gave in, though, he loved the convenience of these new advancements.

For a long time, Merlin didn’t have any sort of work. He hunted his own food, spent his days practicing magic, and sat on his doorstep waiting for his king to return. That lifestyle eventually grew old, and Merlin sought out work in a variety of places. For a few years, he provided a helping hand on a nearby farm. After that got old, he became a fisherman. He spent his days on the lake, alone with his thoughts, waiting for Arthur to come out of the water. For years and years, Merlin’s skillset, outside of the use of his magic, was fairly small. He could hunt, fish, farm, and cook, just like every competent adult in those days. Ironically, he’d gotten quite good at woodcarving after he purchased all of his furniture from more talented artists than himself, since was able to learn by observing their work.

In the early 2000s, the land around Lake Avalon grew more populated. The world’s population was growing, due to advancements in medicine and technology, and there was far less unoccupied land than there had been in the days of Camelot. One day, Merlin worked up the nerve to explore the town that had been built up around him. The buildings were brand new and made of wood, which was something the warlock hadn’t seen a lot of. He soon made a habit of exploring the town, aptly named Avalonia. He occasionally visited some of the shops on the main road, though apparently his thousand-year-old gold pieces were no longer an acceptable currency.

One day, Merlin wandered into a small bookstore. He was browsing the books when an older woman came up behind him and tapped on his shoulder.

“Can I help you with anything?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m alright, thank you,” Merlin replied. The woman smiled and left him to browse the well-stocked shelves.

Every so often, Merlin would wander into town to visit the bookstore. He never bought anything, given his lack of appropriate currency, but he liked to get a taste of what newer literature had to offer. One day, the woman, who Merlin learned was named Muriel, walked up to him with a piece of paper. At the top, it read “Job Application” in a language Merlin didn’t know he could read. English had changed a lot in his 1500 years of reclusion, but he supposed his magic made it possible for him to understand this strange new writing.

“I thought I might offer you a job,” Muriel explained, “if you’re interested of course.” Merlin was a bit taken aback.

“You want me to work here? Really?”

“Well dear, I could use an extra hand, and you’re my best customer,” she smiled, “even though you’ve never actually bought anything.” Merlin blushed, embarrassed that he was unable to buy anything from her.

“I’d love to purchase something, I just… I haven’t the means, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, that’s no problem dear, I was only kidding. And if you work here you can read whenever you like.” He smiled, thinking about her offer. It would be nice to get out of the house a bit, and to earn some money that he could actually use.

“Alright, what do I have to do to get the job?” he asked.

“Just fill out this here form–” she pointed to the paper already in his hands – “and we’ll be all set. You can even do it right here, I have a pen.” She fished around in the pocket of her cardigan and pulled out the pen, handing it to Merlin.

The form asked for his name, address, phone number, and bank account number. Merlin was pretty sure he only had one of those. After writing “Merlin” down, he handed Muriel her pen back.

“I – I haven’t got any of these things, is that all right?” Muriel looked a bit confused – what kind of person doesn’t have an address or a phone number? – but she paid it no mind and walked behind the front desk, signaling for Merlin to follow.

“Of course that’s alright, dear, now let’s get started.”

––––

Years passed, and Merlin became much more well-versed in the ways of the future. He opened a bank account, got himself a mobile phone, and was able to eat at restaurants and visit the local shops with his modern-day currency. Everything was going splendidly. One day, as he was sitting in his cabin watching the news on his brand-new hand-me-down television from Muriel (she got one with a bigger screen because her eyesight was failing), Merlin heard the announcement that the country was going into lockdown. There was a pandemic sweeping across the globe, and everyone was advised to stay inside unless absolutely necessary. Not too long after the announcement, he got a phone call from Muriel. She was closing the shop until it was safe enough to open back up.

As much as he would miss seeing Muriel every day and making the short trek into town for work, Merlin had to admit that it would be nice to bundle up at home for a while. It had been a long winter, and there appeared to be no end in sight.

One night, barely a month after the lockdown had begun, Merlin sat straight up in his bed, awoken by the familiar feeling of magic coursing through his veins. Except for using it to start a fire or wash the dishes, Merlin rarely used his magic anymore. It seemed that people in the 21st century didn’t even believe in magic, and he wasn’t planning on risking his safety any time soon, so he had largely abandoned the practice. Plus, without an idiot king to protect, he really didn’t have much need for it anymore.

In an instant, Merlin was at the window, looking out at the lake. He realized his magic hadn’t felt like this since Arthur’s death. Could it be? Surely not. On many occasions, Merlin had thought his king would return, but he never had. This time wasn’t likely to be any different. But then, he saw it. Arthur’s sword broke through the icy crust of the frozen Lake Avalon. Merlin yanked on his boots and ran out the door, hardly believing this wasn’t a dream. Even from a distance, he recognized the king’s sturdy frame hoisting himself up onto the ice.

Merlin had to slow his pace a bit once he got to the edge of the lake, so as not to faceplant on the slippery, icy surface in front of the man he’d waited 1500 years to reunite with. As he got closer, he could see Arthur’s confused smile in the moonlight, and he noticed the man was shivering violently.

When he was finally standing in front of his king, who was nearly frozen due to the wet clothes and the cold, winter air, Merlin nearly fainted. It was really him.

“Hello Merlin,” Arthur said, shivering, “any chance you have some dry clothes in that cabin of yours?” Merlin grinned.

“None that will fit you, you big oaf.” Through his chattering teeth, Arthur smiled at his now-ancient servant, and together they headed back across the lake for warm drinks and drier clothes.


	2. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After they make it back to Merlin's house, Arthur gets a tour and learns about all the new technology that's been developed in the years he's been gone. Merlin tells him about the pandemic and what it means for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't super exciting, but don't worry, I promise they'll get better! I just felt I had to give a little more background before getting to the actual story, so tune in for chapter 3! I'm hoping to have it up very soon!

Once Merlin had dug out his baggiest pair of clothes for Arthur to change into, he lit a fire in the fireplace. The newly reincarnated king didn’t believe Merlin when he told him the “thermostat,” whatever that was, would keep the house warm. As he waited for Arthur to come out of the bedroom, he set a few blankets on the couch and put some water on the stove to boil. 

Through the years, Merlin’s house had gotten much bigger than the original cabin he’d constructed a few years after Arthur’s death. Now, his living room and kitchen took up what used to be the entire house, and he’d added a bedroom, a bathroom, and a laundry room. Merlin’s favorite invention from the modern world was the washing machine; even magicking his clothes clean was a somewhat tedious task, but with this new appliance he only needed to push a button.

Just as the pot on the stove started to whistle, Arthur emerged from the bedroom. He was wearing a blue hoodie and matching sweatpants that read “Camelot College.” The sleeves of the sweatshirt and the legs of the pants were both a bit too short, and Arthur seemed a bit confused about the material of the clothes.

“Where did you find these clothes?” he asked, pulling the hoodie out to look at the words written across his chest.

“Oh, I found them at a consignment stop in town. Aren’t they great?” Arthur was still confused.

“What’s a consignment store? And what’s–” he paused again to read the sweatshirt– “Camelot College?”

“A consignment store is a place where you can buy things other people have donated, like the clothes you’re wearing. I saw that matching set – apparently Camelot College is a school somewhere in America – and I just thought it would be hilarious if I bought it, especially because it’s too big for me. Do you like it?” Arthur frowned.

“You couldn’t have just found a tunic?” Merlin smiled. There was so much he had to teach his king about this new world.

“People don’t really wear tunics anymore, Arthur. Granted, they don’t typically wear matching sweatsuits either, but we can go shopping tomorrow to find you something else.”

Arthur stopped questioning his clothing options and sat down next to Merlin on the couch.

“How long have I been gone?” he asked, looking as though he didn’t really want to know. Merlin looked down.

“Right around 1500 years.” Arthur’s head snapped up to look at him.

“1500 years? What have you been doing all that time, Merlin? How did you manage… oh, gosh, I never imagined you would wait so long for me.” Merlin looked up to meet his gaze.

“I would wait another thousand if it meant I got to see you, my Lord,” he responded. Arthur blushed and looked away.

“No need to call me that anymore, Merlin, I think it’s safe to presume I’m not king anymore.”

“You’ll always be my king,” he replied, still looking intently at Arthur. An awkward silence fell over them, neither of them sure how to proceed.

“What language are we speaking?” Arthur finally asked, “Because clearly I can speak it and you understand me, but it feels… unfamiliar.” Merlin tore his gaze away from his lap, glad to have a distraction.

“We’re speaking English now, and what we spoke 1500 years ago is what they now call Old English. I think the fact that you can speak it has something to do with my magic.”

“Your magic? How could that control the way I speak?” Merlin paused for a second to think.

“Kilgharrah said you’d rise when Albion’s need was greatest. I think he knew it might not be for a long while, and he anticipated things like shifting of languages, so he gave me the power to accommodate you to this new world as easily as possible.” Arthur nodded, satisfied with that answer.

“So why don’t you give me a tour of this house? I’d like to know about all these new fancy contraptions you’ve got.” Merlin chuckled. There was certainly a lot he had to teach Arthur about the way the world had changed while he was gone.

They started in the living room, then moved quickly on to the kitchen, where Arthur learned about dishwashers, microwaves, electric stoves, and refrigerators. Merlin let him peek his head into the small laundry room, which only contained a washer, a dryer, and a laundry basket that was currently empty. Then they moved on to the bathroom, where Arthur got to see Merlin’s shower.

“You can bathe yourself here, it’s easy!” Merlin explained, glad not to be responsible for Arthur’s hygiene anymore. Finally, they ended up in the bedroom. Merlin had built himself a fairly large room, with a queen-sized bed, a dresser, two nightstands with a lamp on each, and a desk with a computer.

“I noticed you only have one bed,” Arthur commented. Merlin nodded. It was true, he’d never had overnight guests in the past 1500 years, as crazy as it may seem, so he’d never had the need for a second bed. He supposed he could have prepared a bit more for Arthur’s arrival, but the number of beds in his house seemed like one of the smaller problems in the grand scheme of things.

“Where are we to sleep?” Arthur asked, seemingly more concerned about this situation than Merlin.

“I figured we’d just share it,” Merlin shrugged. Arthur was taken aback.

“What are you, my wife? Absolutely not,” he protested.

“If you don’t want to share, you’re welcome to the couch, but I really don’t see what the big deal is. Friends share beds all the time nowadays, from what I hear at least. Plus, it will be much more comfortable than sleeping on the sofa.” Arthur still looked uneasy at the thought, but he changed the subject. Merlin figured they’d get back around to it whenever they finally decided to go to bed.

“What’s that?” Arthur asked, pointing to the laptop resting on the desk across the room.

“Oh, that’s… “ Merlin paused, unsure how to broach the topic of computers with a man who’d never even seen a phone made of two tin cans and a piece of string. “I’ll explain that to you later, I don’t think you’d understand it.” 

They walked back into the living room, taking a seat in front of the fire. The sun was just starting to rise over the lake, signalling the beginning of Merlin and Arthur’s first full day together in more than a thousand years.

“Oh, Arthur, I should mention, we’re currently in the midst of a pandemic,” Merlin said. The mandatory quarantine had been the furthest thing from his mind for the last hour while he was letting it sink in that Arthur was really back. He’d pinched himself a few times just to be sure he wasn’t dreaming.

“What do you mean?” Arthur asked, “is there a plague going around? Is that why I’m back?”

“Well, not exactly,” Merlin replied, “it only kills about 1% of people, and I honestly don’t think you would be of any help to anyone. The best thing we can do right now is stay inside as much as possible and limit contact with other people.”

“Does that mean I have to be stuck inside with you all day?” Arthur asked, pretending to be disgusted. Merlin chuckled.

“It sure seems that way.”

“So… why am I back, then?” Arthur asked.

“That’s what I can’t seem to figure out,” Merlin replied, “because, as bad as this pandemic is, far worse things have happened in the years you’ve been gone. It makes me worry that something terrible is on the horizon.”

“I sure hope not,” Arthur said, “but I suppose I’ll be ready if it is. After all, that’s my whole purpose, right?” Merlin smiled.

“I suppose it is.”


	3. A Much-Needed Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin and Arthur have their first real meal together in the 21st century, and later they debate sleeping arrangements for a second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a fun one to write, because I just love the domestic squabbles Arthur and Merlin get into! In the next chapter, I'm planning to have them go to the grocery store, so get ready for more of that. Hope you like this one, and I'll try to get the next one up fairly soon!

Merlin spent most of his day catching Arthur up on everything he’d missed in the past 1500 years, from the discovery of electricity (Arthur was confused about the fact that there was light in the house but no candles) to the invention of the automobile (Arthur was shocked to learn that horses were no longer the main method of transportation). After talking for what felt like days, Merlin got up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. Arthur followed, still fascinated by all of the new appliances, and eager to see how Merlin used them all.

First, he pulled a can of tomato soup out of the pantry. Then, he took out a small pot and a pan and set them on the two front burners. Arthur was fascinated by the crackling noise the gas stove made, and the plastic dial that Merlin turned to change the intensity of the flames. After opening the can with an aptly named “can opener” (Arthur was especially intrigued by this), Merin poured the soup into the pot and moved on to the next portion of the meal: toasted cheese sandwiches. Arthur watched carefully as he took cheese from inside of the fridge and bread from on top of it, and shredded the cheese onto three slices of bread. This fascination continued for the twenty minutes it took Merlin to prepare their dinner, and by the time Arthur was handed a plate with two sandwiches on it, there was a glazed look in his eyes.

“I know this is all new to you, Arthur, but surely it can’t be that interesting to watch me cook,” Merlin said, laughing to himself. Arthur snapped out of it, feeling slightly defensive.

“I’m only interested because it’s strange to see you being so responsible,” he replied, “and because I still don’t fully understand how electricity isn’t magic.”

“Like I told you, it’s science, only you can’t see it happening because of all the wires.” Arthur frowned, still confused. If his father had seen Merlin’s refrigerator, he surely would have executed him for being a sorcerer.

Deciding to drop the subject, the pair sat down at the small kitchen table with their plates. Merin poured the hot soup into two empty bowls that he’d instructed Arthur to place on the table a few minutes earlier.

“This is the perfect meal for a rainy day,” Merlin said, a bite of sandwich already in his mouth. Arthur only grunted in reply; he was hungry too. After coming back to life in the early hours of the morning, Arthur had eaten a few snacks throughout the day, but he insisted he was more interested to learn about the last 1500 years than he was to eat. He changed his tune the moment Merlin began cooking, and as soon as they were seated together at the table, he practically inhaled his food.

Despite having two sandwiches and a bigger bowl of soup, Arthur finished his meal before Merlin was even halfway done eating.

“I take it that a millennium of being dead in a lake made you hungry?” Merlin joked, as though coming back from the dead was something normal people did.

“It absolutely did,” Arthur said, already looking around the kitchen for more food.

“Well, help yourself to anything you want,” Merlin said, “I can show you how to use the toaster if you need.”

“What’s this?” Arthur asked, pulling out a bag of bagels.

“Oh, those are bagels,” Merlin replied, “they’re basically just really dense bread. I think you’d like them!”

“Why are they O-shaped?” he asked.

“Um… I’m not really sure. I think they’re an American food.” Arthur nodded in understanding. Merlin had told him all about the US and their love of weird foods.

After popping a bagel in the toaster, Merlin pulled cream cheese out of the fridge.

“Most people put this on their bagels, want to try it?” he asked.

“Sure,” Arthur shrugged. He didn’t get as bulky as he did by being a picky eater.

A few minutes later, they were back at the table, where Merlin was finishing up the last of his soup and Arthur was eating his bagel.

“It’s good,” he said, through a mouthful of food.

“I’m glad you like it,” Merlin smiled, “we can get more at the store tomorrow.”

“Fantastic,” Arthur replied as he took another bite.

––––

After their late dinner, Merlin and Arthur realized how exhausted they both were, and the topic of sharing a bed came up once more.

“I really don’t think you should sleep on the couch, Arthur,” Merlin said, “it’s not very comfortable, and I’m sure it’s not anywhere close to the luxury you’re used to.”

“Well I certainly never had to share a bed with anyone when I was king. I had a bed twice as big as yours all to myself.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “I remember. Although I don’t think it was twice as big. And didn’t you share your bed with Gwen?”

“That doesn’t count. She was my wife.”

“I’m well aware that she was your wife.”

“How can you compare sharing a bed with my servant to sharing a bed with my wife?”

“I’m not your servant anymore, Arthur, I’m your friend, and I’ve offered you a spot in my bed, so why don’t you just take it and be grateful?” Merlin was getting agitated now. Surely Arthur couldn’t be mad over something as small as not having a bed to himself. And anyways, where would he even put a second bed? He lived in a cabin, not a mansion. Plus, he’d had no idea that Arthur was coming back until he popped out of the lake that morning.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be ungrateful,” Arthur replied, looking down at the borrowed socks on his feet. “I’ll sleep in the bed with you, just don’t kick me or anything. Gwen was a kicker.”

“Really?” Merlin chuckled, “I never knew that.”

“Oh yeah, she was amazing in bed, but terrible to sleep next to.” Arthur looked up, his face turning red as his eyes grew wide. “I – I didn’t really mean to say that.”

“That’s alright,” Merlin replied, his stunned expression mirroring Arthur’s. “We’re friends now, we can… talk about those things. I guess.”

“Alright then, let’s hear it,” Arthur said, gesturing as if to encourage Merlin to speak.

“Hear what?”

“Your romantic encounters. You’re not as ugly as you were when we first met, so surely you’ve had some action in the past thousand years.” Merlin was impressed that Arthur had managed to insult him and compliment him in the same breath.

“Actually, no, I… I’ve never…” now it was his turn to look down, ashamed to admit that he’d never been in love, or even been briefly infatuated with anyone, in the time since Arthur had been gone. He couldn’t really explain why, because he didn’t know himself, but he imagined that his living alone in the woods had something to do with it.

“You’ve been… alone? This whole time?” Arthur asked, concern sweeping across his features. Merlin nodded.

“But I’m not alone any more. I have you,” he said, smiling at the blond man in front of him. Immediately he realized the mistake in his choice of words. “Not like that, I – I just meant that you… that now that you’re back, I have someone to live with, and someone to talk to, and I’m not–”

“It’s okay Merlin, I understand what you meant,” Arthur said, resting his hand on the other man’s shoulder to stop him from rambling. “Perhaps we should go to bed now?” Merlin nodded, thankful to be ending this uncomfortable conversation. He pulled back the covers on the left side of the bed, where a small stack of books and a lamp sat on the nightstand.

As Merlin tucked himself under the covers, Arthur nervously walked around to the other side of the bed, still uneasy about the idea of sharing it with Merlin.

“I… I normally sleep with my shirt off,” he said.

“I know,” Merlin replied.

“Is that… alright? Would it make you uncomfortable?”

“Why would that make me uncomfortable?” Merlin asked.

“I don’t know, you might… touch me… in the middle of the night, when we’re both sleeping,” Arthur said, looking nervously around the room.

“Is that something you think about a lot, Arthur? Me touching you in the night?” Merlin teased.

“Of course not, you idiot!” he replied, defensive. “I just… like I said, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“You won’t, Arthur,” Merlin assured him, “just get in bed already.” Arthur grumbled and pulled off his shirt, climbing under the covers. After he’d gotten situated, Merlin turned off the lamp and the room fell into darkness. Arthur fell asleep almost immediately, the excitement of his first day back having exhausted him.

Merlin laid awake for hours, his mind racing. Finally, after more than a thousand years, his king had risen, for some yet unknown reason. As obnoxious as Arthur could be, his reappearance had made Merlin happier than he’d been in as long as he could remember.

Sometime around midnight, Merlin felt Arthur’s chest press up against his back. He gasped as Arthur’s arm wrapped around his stomach, pulling their bodies even closer together. Merlin figured this was exactly the kind of touching Arthur was so worried about, but for some reason he didn’t extract himself from the embrace. Instead, he fell asleep in Arthur’s arms, happy to finally feel at peace after so many years of nervous anticipation.


End file.
